Raman spectroscopy and field emission measurements on catalytically grown carbon nanotubes

TL;DR

This study investigates how the growth temperature affects the diameter, crystalline structure, and field emission properties of catalytically grown multi-wall carbon nanotubes using Raman spectroscopy and field emission measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a method to control nanotube diameter and crystalline quality through temperature variation during chemical vapor deposition.

Findings

Nanotube diameter increases with deposition temperature.

Crystalline character improves with higher temperatures.

Field emission properties correlate with nanotube diameter.

Abstract

We used microcontact printing to pattern a silicon surface with an iron-containing catalytic solution. Multi-wall carbon nanotubes were subsequently grown on the patterned areas by chemical vapor deposition at temperatures between 650 and 1000C. We demonstrate that the diameter of the catalytically grown multi-wall nanotubes increases with the deposition temperature. Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate the crystalline character of the obtained structures and it is found that the fraction of the nano-crystalline shell increases with the temperatures. The measurement of the field emission properties shows a correlation between the tube diameter and the emission field values.